Made In Bursa September 2017

4 History
September
2017
İznik-Archaeological and historical art laboratory of
the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuk and Ottoman Turks
Historic Tile Furnaces of Iznik attract interests of tourists more than ever. It is evident that other historic tiles
such as so called Rhodes Tiles, Golden Horn Tiles and Damascus Tiles were of Iznik Tiles originally.
İznik is located on the banks of the lake of
the same name in the province of Bursa in
the northwestern part of Anatolia. In antiquity
it lay within the borders of the Bithynian
region.
İznik presents a picture of a city which has undergone
great cultural and architectural changes.
In the true sense of the word, İznik is an
archaeological and historical art laboratory of
the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuk and Ottoman
Turks.
Orhan Gazi (1326-1362) is known to be the
founder of the first “medrese” (university) in the
Ottoman Empire. He established “medreses”
in İznik, Bursa, Akçaova, Sapanca and İzmit to
which the most renowned scholars or “müderris”
of the period were appointed. This led to
the other education centers in the Ottoman Period.
The conquest of İznik in 1331 was followed by
the opening of the first medrese and the mosque
in the city. Davudu Kayseri was appointed to the
position of “müderris” at the aforementioned
institution in 1333. This was followed by the Süleyman
Paşa Medresesi, which was built before
1357 and still survives in its original state and by
the Hayrettin Paşa Medresesi the portico columns
of which can be seen on the north of the
Green Mosque in Bursa.
Historians mention the existence of 300 workshops
in İznik during the 17th century. This
number, also justified by the excavations, gives
us an idea of the importance of tile production
in İznik.
Following the recent excavations of İznik kilns
on the site, Prof. Aslanapa and Prof. Altun have
clearly observed that the Ottoman ceramics in
İznik had a Seljuk background. The latest research
and analysis have revealed that the white
pasted hard ceramic consists of the same material
as the soft porcelain used in the Ottoman
Period. At first, blue and white were the prevailing
colors in the pots and wall tiles in this category.
During the 16th century, the turquoise was
introduced. The embossed red of the wall tiles
of the mihrab of Süleymaniye Mosque (1555)
marks the peak of Ottoman tiles and ceramics.
During the Ottoman era, the İznik tiles and
pottery were exported to other countries via the
Island of Rhodes, which was then under Turkish
rule.
Evliya Çelebi, the famous Turkish traveller,
mentions the existence of 300 workshops in
İznik during the 17th century. This number, also
justified by the excavations, gives us an idea of
the importance of tile production in this town.
Various reasons have been put forward with regard
to the decline of tile production in İznik.
The most widely accepted theory is that the
demand from Istanbul for the use of these tiles
in major public buildings such as mosques and
palaces had fallen during the period of decline
of the empire. In the beginning of the 20th century,
the population of İznik was composed of
Turks as well as small ethnic minorities such as
Greek and Armenians involved in farming and
silk production.
Recep Altepe, Mayor, Metropolitan Municipality
of Bursa paid a visit to İznik where excavation
and archeological works on the Historic
Tile Furnaces were underway. He said, “Historic
Tile Furnaces of Iznik attract interests of
tourists more than ever. It is evident that other
historic tiles such as so called Rhodes Tiles,
Golden Horn Tiles and Damascus Tiles were of
Iznik Tiles originally.
Recep Altepe, Metropolitan Mayor of Bursa,
added “ İznik tiles reached their heyday in the
16th century, and the masterpieces produced
at that time are regarded as the most valuable
specimens of the art of ceramics by the leading
museums of the world.”
“İznik Kiln excavations, carried out for more
than 20 years by the Istanbul University Department
of Archaeology and History of Art, give us
clues as to the types of kilns and ceramics used
in the Art of İznik tile making.”
The scientific excavation was undertaken under
the coordination of Associate Professor Belgin
Demirsar Arlı of Istanbul University and her
team.
“Our works are carried out by cooperating with
the official of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality
and İznik Municipality. We belive that the excavation
works would reach their targets, thereby
paving the way for displaying historic richess of
İznik,” she said.
Metin Sözen, Chairman, ÇEKÜL, the Foundation
for the Protection and Promotion of
Evliya Celebi, the famous Turkish traveller, mentions the
existence of 300 workshops in Iznik during the 17th century.
This number, also justified by the excavations, gives us an
idea of the importance of tile production in this town.
the Environment and Cultural Heritage has congratulated
Recep Altepe, Mayor, Metropolitan Municipality of Bursa
on the occasion of the Municipality’s support and initiative
forthe excavation and archeological works on the Historic
Tile Furnaces.
As known, ÇEKÜL, the Foundation for the Protection
and Promotion of the Environment and Cultural Heritage
strives to foster and build a nation-wide awareness and network
for the preservation of the urban and rural, built and
natural environment.
Activities of ÇEKÜL range from the restoration and renovation
of the built environment on a “neighborhood-town-basin-region-country”
basis to sustainable rural development,
biodiversity conservation and afforestation.
The Characteristics of İznik Tiles
İznik Tiles are admired worldwide for the following reasons:
• İznik Tiles are made on a very clean white base with hard
backs and underglazed decorations in a unique technique.
• 70-80 percent of an İznik tile is composed of quartz and
quartzite. Its beauty arises from the harmonious composition
of three successive quartz layers and a paste-slip-glaze
combination which is extremely difficult to bring together.
The mixture of quartz, clay and glaze disperses in a very wide
thermic spectrum at 900 centigrade. After painstaking research,
the problem of the fluctuating thermal behavior of
the tiles due to their quartz and rock crystal composition is
solved. The result is a tile made primarily out of a semi-precious
stone: quartz. ➢